Looking around all the wonderful work posted here in blogland, I started thinking… I wonder how many people have a desire to be more creative but just don’t know how or where to start?Â
I know that was me a few years ago, and it was the idea of documenting a trip to France in a more visual way that got me started in journaling. From there my creative journey has broadened, inspired by much that I have seen here on the web and some wonderful online workshops along the way. A journey that has enriched and nourished me in more ways than I can say.
So, how can we inspire others to take their first tentative steps on the creative path? Perhaps by sharing our stories we will encourage others?
So, I am asking a favour – write a post about what got you started on YOUR creative journey, and the blocks you had to overcome. Then leave a comment below with a link back to your post. And please spread the word – ask all your friends to participate. Let’s inspire others to create!
I got my start in crafts as a kid doing knitting and crochet. As a young woman, I’m taking up journalling and drawing.
I have always enjoyed crafts. Out of boredom during a time when I was unable to work, I began drawing and journaling. I didn’t have much money, so using paper and pencil or pen didn’t require spending any money. I’ve stuck to it for four years now. I’m happy that I keep improving. I keep an art journal now.
I have always had a love for crafting especialy using paper. I was invited to a Making Memories party and scrapbooking became my passion. I purchased more supplies than I could ever use and spent all my free time scrappin. I’m glad I did because I began to see outside the box and incorporated scrappin with my personal journals. I was going through alot emotionaly and journaling helped release the pain. While at my local bookstore I picked up a book on journaling arts and saw that I had been visual journaling and there was a name for it. I was thrilled and never stopped
I have kept a written journal for years and years. I grew up in an atmosphere where doing crafty things is one things but drawing and painting was for real artists and creative writing was for real writers. My creativity was stifled but at least I had my writing journal. But then I started seeing articles and books about Art Journals and Visual Journals. They were so creative and beautiful and recorded so much more than just my written journal ever could. Thats what I want! I want to do that. But it is so hard with no “art” experience. I didn’t know where to start. I was completely intimidated by drawing, paint and pastels. What do I do with them? When you do you often get a big mess. I am just discovering the world of online art journaling workshops. (Will you be having the beginning art journaling course again soon? I just missed it, having just found your awesome site… and REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to open my self up to all your wonderful creative information!!!)
Being intimidated is probably the hardest obstacle newbies, including myself, have about starting to be creative… especially if they don’t have background in art. Making the process simple and as non-intimidating as possible is key. Focusing on the process and not on results is a Big Help… but often hard to achieve. But as a newbie, will very introductory skills, I can find joy glueing down ephemera from my day… a receipt from the library books I’ve borrowed, a website or blog name I read that day… a found charm… Write a bit about my day around the glued items, add a bit of water color or oil pastels… Simple but it can be tremendously rewarding.
But when you see all the beautiful Journal Pages out on the net it can make you sigh. Will I ever learn how to do that? I hope so!!!
I have been writing and keeping notebooks since a child (now in my 70s and write professionally) and always kept travel scrapbooks made from paper or fabric, or a mixture of both, and a few sketches when I felt capable. Only this last year have I really got into visual journals. Please see my ‘journaling’ blog. I may have given you the wrong site address; if I have, please email me and I will email you back the correct one so you can see some of my journals. I’ll note your online shop and contact you next time I need supplies.
What a fabulous question! My story has a lot of twists and turns, and while all of those twists kept showing me a path that lead to the arts, I resisted at every turn.
At 25, I had the opportunity to go to art school and despite the voice in my head that kept telling me to go, I resisted. After being in a very bad accident 10 days after my 25th birthday, I had a long recovery period that allowed for a lot of reflection. Since it was necessary to restructure my life anyway, I decided to go to art school.
As they say the rest is history!
I have a question and I found your website to be pretty knowledgeable about journaling. What do you use to adhere paper or something to a moleskine journal?
Moleskines will accept a variety of media so you have a wide choice – Glue sticks; double-sided tape; pva glue… Many artists choose to use acrylic medium, but be a little careful if you want to use the medium over the image as well as to adhere it, if you want to do this it is preferable to use a matte medium as some glossy mediums have a tendency to stick the pages together when you close the book. This also applies to some acrylic paints – it is one time when the cheap acrylic paints come into their own, because of the high level of binder that they contain they tend to be more matte and therefore do not stick together.
Hope this helps
Thank you for the advice on what glue to use. It was quite helpful. I used PVA, it was versatile, and could be used for my other paper arts. Sorry, it took so long to say thanks. I had to find your blog again. I can’t believe I was able to find it after so many months. This time I bookmarked your blog.
I had a lovely dad:
http://peterbryenton.typepad.com/phi_one/2010/08/father-son.html
Peter – how wonderful that your father kindled that initial spark of curiosity that helped to develop a wonderful talent.
When I was twenty-one I moved to London, England to discover who I was but not yet aware of the artist I would become. . .
Richard, thank you for your post – I enjoyed a brief visit to your blog and I will certainly be back for a longer look. This time however I was sidetracked by your amazing book – The Artist on The Road: Impressions of Greece
I look forward to more books of your travels…
Thanks for letting us know how you got started Victoria. Have just been over to your blog and love your pottery pieces.
I got into crafting through my dad who was a potter, I picked it up from him. A friend suggested to me that I try knitting too things have just never been the same since then!